60 Years Later, This Fan-Favorite Batman Performance Still Stands Above the Rest

Batman has evolved over 60 years, with Batman: The Movie released in 1966, but he became a true pop culture force when Michael Keaton first donned the cape in 1989’s Batman. Since then, a distinguished lineup of actors has stepped into the role—but the late Val Kilmer stands out among them. Taking on Batman is daunting enough; following Keaton’s defining performance is an even greater challenge. Yet Kilmer rose to the occasion, exceeding expectations in Batman Forever, where The Dark Knight faces off against Gotham’s chaos in the form of Harvey “Two-Face” Dent (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey).